Cartridge for RP3

[jcarruthers]

So as I've had two dodgy Elys cartridges in a row (apparently from a bad batch) I have asked the dealer how much it'll cost me to change to another cartridge — saves me getting the Elys and having to sell it. I really enjoyed the Elys (when it was working) but it lacked a certain excitement — it had huge detail but seemed quite flat. I prefer my ProJect with Ortofon 2M Red.

The question is — what else?

I am considering the Exact — as it seems to be the most straight forward option.

James

 

[Hi-FiOutlaw]

I've folowed the opinion of my Rega Dealer, in the vinyl market for 30 years, a Rega dealer since the begining, Well Tempered Lab, Clearaudio, Grado, Dynavector, Goldring.

A deep knowledge of TT and analogue sound, provider of technichal assistance for all the above brands!

The results of my combo are amazing!

Goldring 1012gx

 

[DIB]

I've folowed the opinion of my Rega Dealer, in the vinyl market for 30 years, a Rega dealer since the begining, Well Tempered Lab, Clearaudio, Grado, Dynavector, Goldring.

A deep knowledge of TT and analogue sound, provider of technichal assistance for all the above brands!

The results of my combo are amazing!

Goldring 1012gx

I'm definitely in need of a new cartridge for my P3 now. I was giving my deck a really good dust and clean up this evening and did a school boy error by accidentally damaging and bending the stylus

Never done that before in all my life, can't believe it.

Anyway, back to my Goldring question. Am I right in thinking you originally had a Rega cart? If so did you swap this over or did your dealer do it for you? I'm just wondering whether there is much difference between a Rega and Goldring cart as regards the VTA. Dependent on who you read, VTA is either vitally important or a mm here and there wont make that much difference if any.

.

 

[Hi-FiOutlaw]

I've folowed the opinion of my Rega Dealer, in the vinyl market for 30 years, a Rega dealer since the begining, Well Tempered Lab, Clearaudio, Grado, Dynavector, Goldring.

A deep knowledge of TT and analogue sound, provider of technichal assistance for all the above brands!

The results of my combo are amazing!

Goldring 1012gx

I'm definitely in need of a new cartridge for my P3 now. I was giving my deck a really good dust and clean up this evening and did a school boy error by accidentally damaging and bending the stylus

Never done that before in all my life, can't believe it.

Anyway, back to my Goldring question. Am I right in thinking you originally had a Rega cart? If so did you swap this over or did your dealer do it for you? I'm just wondering whether there is much difference between a Rega and Goldring cart as regards the VTA. Dependent on who you read, VTA is either vitally important or a mm here and there wont make that much difference if any.

.

i never heard the RP3 with the Rega cartridge, as my Rega dealer don't like the Elis or Exact!

About you question, I don't dare to change a cart, all that work is provided by my rega dealer, he has all the tools like a oscilloscope...

He provide for his costumers a 5 star service with no extra charge !!!

 

[DIB]

After last nights calamity I took advantage of a day off from work today and took my P3 down to my dealers and bought myself a new Ortofon 2m Blue. They fitted it and set it up just right. Just playing Al Green's "Greatest Hits" back at home and it's sounding fabulous. I'm not a "night and day" person but it leaves my old Rega Bias for dead.

BTW. when they tested the new cart at the dealers they used a Rega Brio-R hooked up a lovely pair of Rosewood Epos Elan 10s. What a lovely compact pair of speakers they are, sounded beautiful Anyone looking at standmounts around the £400-£500 mark could do a lot worse then consider the Elan 10s.

.

 

[Hi-FiOutlaw]

After last nights calamity I took advantage of a day off from work today and took my P3 down to my dealers and bought myself a new Ortofon 2m Blue. They fitted it and set it up just right. Just playing Al Green's "Greatest Hits" back at home and it's sounding fabulous. I'm not a "night and day" person but it leaves my old Rega Bias for dead.

BTW. when they tested the new cart at the dealers they used a Rega Brio-R hooked up a lovely pair of Rosewood Epos Elan 10s. What a lovely compact pair of speakers they are, sounded beautiful Anyone looking at standmounts around the £400-£500 mark could do a lot worse then consider the Elan 10s.

.

Every thing is alright now!

About the Epos, I didn't heard the Elan range, but did demo the Epic 2 and 5, very nice set of speakers, a very organic sound.

Best REGArds

 

[mgkwackerd]

I also had two faulty Rega Elys 2 cartridges, on the RP3, and decided not to try 3rd time lucky but invest in another Cartridge

I've gone for the Denon DL110, great for not picking up surface noise and a very musical rather than clinical cart with great treble and midrange, just a tad short on bass, but it has only had 10 hours yet, so hopefully this will improve.

No mods to RB303 arm, or phono stage even though it is a M/C cartridge, well pleased as I prefer the older warmer sound than the newer clinical sound (Had Goldring 2500 great detail, but tiresome on a Linn LP12)

 

[jcarruthers]

mgkwackerd — when did you have those faulty cartridges.

Thanks all for your recommendations — I'll come back to this when I am back home — currently stuck in South Africa on business for a month.

 

[mgkwackerd]

Hi jcarruthers,

I bought my RP3 S/Hand just 3 months old. When I went to audition it, I told the owner it had a faulty cartridge, this was the end of April, the RP3 was bought end of January 2013.

He took it back to his dealer and they ordered a new Cartridge, I bought the deck and the owner brought the new cartridge to me on 9th May, the delay being Rega were sourcing new Elys 2 because of problems, and yes this was faulty as well, different problem ( I opened a thread "Rega RP3 strange after noise" on here, and there is a fuller explanation on there) So I gave it him back and he gave me a proportional discount, just for the deck, and I've now bought a Denon DL-110, which is shaping up lovely through my Rega Fono and Cyrus Pre/power mono amps system into big F/S Kefs.

I'll never mess with rega cartridges again, masses of threads about noise/hum and failures, I'd avoid.

 

[stevebrock]

Glad your sorted!

Did someone recommend the Denon cart to you?

 

[mgkwackerd]

Hi steve,

lots of threads say the Denon is very well suited to the Rega arm, I wasn't sure, so went to a reference dealer and heard the DL-110, the Goldring 1042 and Ortofon Blue, I decided on the denon with my own ears, and as it happened it was the cheapest as well - LOL 🙂

It is turning out to be very sweet with very little surface noise (I have lots of records about 30 - 45 years old (age giveaway)) and it has re-vitalised them.

It has only had about 16 hours and I anticipate when fully burnt in, I will be very happy

 

[stevebrock]

Maybe it's worth me investigating going up further the Denon range / I think Rega carts do display a lot of surface noise on some of my records and if the Denon carts eradicate this then I'm all ears!

That is my only criticism of the Exact - however I won't know if the excess surface noise is my records or the Exact!

Most of my LPs display no surface noise and sound absolutely fantastic and I can sit down for hours listening to it without any fatigue.

 

[DIB]

A week into my new Ortofon 2M Blue now, and it's had some heavy duty use so well broken in. When I had the basic Rega Bias cart on the sound was just OK, but I definitely felt that I was missing some spark. The 2M Blue has delivered that spark in droves I'm glad to say. Considering that the 2M Blue is over twice the price of the Bias I suppose you're entitled to say so it should. However, as I have found over the years paying twice the price for something in hi-fi doesn't always guarantee improvements, but in this instance the change of cartridge has improved my vinyl listening experience hugely. Bearing in mind this is still a humble P3 turntable after all, I'd love to hear a more top of the range set-up some day just to hear what is achievable.

.

 

[Hi-FiOutlaw]

A week into my new Ortofon 2M Blue now, and it's had some heavy duty use so well broken in. When I had the basic Rega Bias cart on the sound was just OK, but I definitely felt that I was missing some spark. The 2M Blue has delivered that spark in droves I'm glad to say. Considering that the 2M Blue is over twice the price of the Bias I suppose you're entitled to say so it should. However, as I have found over the years paying twice the price for something in hi-fi doesn't always guarantee improvements, but in this instance the change of cartridge has improved my vinyl listening experience hugely. Bearing in mind this is still a humble P3 turntable after all, I'd love to hear a more top of the range set-up some day just to hear what is achievable.

.

there is no such thing as a humble TT from Rega... 😉

 

[stevebrock]

Soo much Love for Rega on these forums!

 

[CJSF]

A week into my new Ortofon 2M Blue now, and it's had some heavy duty use so well broken in. When I had the basic Rega Bias cart on the sound was just OK, but I definitely felt that I was missing some spark. The 2M Blue has delivered that spark in droves I'm glad to say. Considering that the 2M Blue is over twice the price of the Bias I suppose you're entitled to say so it should. However, as I have found over the years paying twice the price for something in hi-fi doesn't always guarantee improvements, but in this instance the change of cartridge has improved my vinyl listening experience hugely. Bearing in mind this is still a humble P3 turntable after all, I'd love to hear a more top of the range set-up some day just to hear what is achievable.

Try a simple standard black to 'white belt' upgrade, for £21.00, its a bargin . . . then there is a new (correct size) metal sub platter and saphir bearing, another £130.00'ish, value for money upgrades. Saphire bearing not a 'must have' IMHO. . .

CJSF

 

[floyd droid]

I'd love to hear a more top of the range set-up some day just to hear what is achievable.

DIB. Are you within striking distance of mid Cornwall ?. If so you are more than welcome to come my place for a listen to something a smidge 😉 higher up the ladder. This could be arranged easy peasy.

 

[DIB]

I'd love to hear a more top of the range set-up some day just to hear what is achievable.

DIB. Are you within striking distance of mid Cornwall ?. If so you are more than welcome to come my place for a listen to something a smidge 😉 higher up the ladder. This could be arranged easy peasy.

That's very kind of you Floyd, but as I live in sunny Manchester that's not really an option

Funnily enough since that post of mine, I was in an elderly customers home a couple of weeks ago and he had the most fantastic Origin Live turntable set-up in his front room. Sounded fantastic. He also told me he had various vintage Thorens and Garrard TTs in his basement that he was keeping for posterity.

Having said all that I still get maximum pleasure from my P3.

.

 

[jcarruthers]

To finish this off — as I am in stuck in SA on business I got the whole thing sent back.

I'll decide what to do — possibly with a different cartridge.

 

[NHL]

Definitely AT OC 09, if you've got a MC phono amp. BB King, 1973, sounds supremely, 'To know you is to love you' is the record. A DAC doesn't come close!